By Huw Alban
July 30 2006

It has come to our attention this evening that Midland F1 Racing have been disqualified from the results of the German Grand Prix due to a technical infringement concerning their rear wing. We have had this news confirmed by the team.

We were first made aware of this by a message board contributor quoting a link to the Reuters news agency. It wasn't long before all the major F1 news outlets were carrying the news.

"The stewards received a report from the technical delegate which stated that the lower rear wing element of cars 18 and 19 show excessive flexibility," said a statement issued by the FIA.

"The stewards, after hearing from the technical delegate, examining the wing of each car and hearing the explanation of the competitor’s technical director referred to article 2.4 of the 2006 FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations, which is specific regarding the compliance of automobiles with the regulations.

"It is the stewards’ view that the cars did not comply with the regulations because the lower wing element on both sides of each car have a significant degree of flexibility such that the rear part of the wing appears to bend in a downward direction along a straight pre-determined line.

"Such a line appears to be attributable to a break in the carbon fibre weave and not to continuous flexing of the wing.

"The stewards consider this to be a breach of 2006 FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations relating to bodywork, in particular article 3.15 which requires parts of the car that influence its aerodynamic performance to be rigidly secured to and remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car."

We contacted our sources in Midland F1 Racing at the Hockenheim circuit, and received confirmation from the team of this decision.

"Midland has learned about the FIA decision this evening and although we regret the FIA's decision and believe our rear wings were within the regulations, we will accept it and not appeal," a Midland spokesman has been quoted as saying to F1Racing.net. "We'd also like to apologise to Christijan Albers who drove his best race of the season today."

That about tops an otherwise disappointing weekend, doesn't it?

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